Wall St jumps at the open on coronavirus vaccine hopes

Floor traders work space is seen on the trading floor after the closing bell, following traders testing positive for Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, Mar 19, 2020. REUTERS/FILE

US stock indexes shot up in early trade on Monday as encouraging data from a potential COVID-19 vaccine trial fuelled optimism, while investors also counted on more stimulus to rescue the economy from a virus-driven slump.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 374.56 points, or 1.58%, at the open to 24,059.98.

The S&P 500 opened higher by 68.68 points, or 2.40%, at 2,932.38 after the open. The Nasdaq Composite gained 162.59 points, or 1.80%, to 9,177.15.